Ground lesson 13, (1): Human factors and physiology

Advanced human factors concepts

• Aeronautical decision making
• “ADM” → Constantly evaluate the situation and determine the best course of action 
• Simply doing the right thing at the right time

• Enhanced conventional decision making 
• Recognition of change of stability is a vital step in conventional decision making

• Difference 
• ADM needs evaluation of correction action as well

• Good decision making 
• Learning behavior changing technique 
• Learn to recognize and cope with stress
• Develop risk assessment skills 
• Identify hazardous attitudes

• IFR decision making
• Decision making process 
• Reactive → you deal with the events as they come
• Pro-active → you prepare yourself for problems before they arrive

• It is important for a pilot to have good reactive and proactive skills

• Hazardous attitudes
• Most pilots will experience one or more
• Normal and human
• Learn to recognize and use antidote

HAZARDOUS ATTITUDE                                    ANTIDOTE  

Anti-authority → don't tell me	Follow the rules, they’re there for a reason
Impulsivity → do something quick	Not so fast, think first
Invulnerability → it won't happen to me	It can happen to you
Macho → i can do it	Taking chances is foolish
Resignation → what’s the use	I’m not helpless, i can make a difference T

• The decision-making process

• DECIDE MODEL

Detect → changes in the condition of flight

Estimate → the need for correction action

Choose → desired outcome of corrective action

Identify → corrective action needed for the situation

DO → the necessary action

Evaluate → the effect of the action

• 3 P’s

Perceive →  given set of circumstances

Process → by evaluating their inspection on flight safety

Perform → implementing the best course of action

• Poor judgement chain 
• Strings of events leading to an accident
• Pilot is given many opportunities to avoid it 
• Good examples to break the chain
• Do not stress, rush, or skip a preflight 
• Squawk the aircraft if there’s anything wrong 
• Make a precautionary landing 
• Declare an emergency and request ATC assistance

•  Assessing risk 
• You can use the PAVE model
• Always try to minimize risk
• Fly early morning to reduce DA
• Carry less fuel
• Have an alternate plan 
• Crew resource management
• Team work 
• Use all resources available 
• Ask copilot for help
• Try to stay 5 minutes ahead of the aircraft
  
• Resource use
• Use all available resources
• Program with procedures and frequencies
• Talk to other pilots about weather and route of your flight 
• Passengers can help scan
• Autopilot
  
• Workload management
• Stay ahead of the aircraft
• Doing as much as possible in advance will reduce stress during high workload situations 
• Prioritize
• ANC → aviate, navigate, communicate
  
  
  
• Pilot-in-command responsibility
• FAR 91.3/91.7/91.107
• Logging instrument time - FAR 61.51 (g)
• Time flown solely by reference of the instruments
  
• Actual or simulated flight time
• Subtract 0.2 from total flight
  
• Before we can take off in a controlled airspace we need - FAR 91.173
• File an IFR flight plan
• IFR clearance
  
• (14 CFR 61.57(c)(1))
• Minimum currency requirements to act as PIC under IFR, or in weather conditions less then minimum prescribed for VFR, that must have been logged within the preceding 6 months
• 6.H.I.T - (Requirements)
• At least 6 instrument approaches
• Holding procedures
• Intercepting and tracking courses through the use of navigation systems
  
• Graceperiod 
• After first 6 months, 6 more months to get current with at least a safety pilot 



• Instrument Proficiency Check (IPC)
• If the requirements of 61.57(c)(1) are not met within the prescribed 6 months nor within another 6 calendar months, then, in order to act as PIC under IFR, the pilot must pass an IPC based on the tasks required by the instrument rating PTS
• Communication
• Radio technique 
• Proper communication is critical in IFR flight
• Work on effective listening 
• Watch out for similar call signs
• Question anything you find confusing or unclear
• Listen before you transmit to not step over other people 
• Think before you transmit 
• read back frequency change 
• State altitude on initial contact 
• ATC can compare reported altitude with transponder

• Standard phraseology 
• Immediately → execute without delay
• “Climb at pilot's discretion “ → start/rate/temporarily level off is at your discretion 
• Once an altitude is left, you may not return to that altitude

• “When able” → pilot can delay, but should seek first opportunity to comply 
• “Cruise 5000” → you can climb/descend and level off between MDA and 5000’
• If you report leaving an altitude, you cannot return to that altitude

• “Resume own navigation” → resume your own navigation responsibilities

• Situational awareness
• Know your position 
• Know positions of other aircraft's 
• Pay attention to ATC
• Keep track of weather and wind
• Know your aircraft
• Keep eye out for other factors that can affect your flight
  
  
  

• Controlled Flight Into Terrain

Aviation physiology

• Vestibular disorientation
• Motion sensing system in the ears
• Sense of balance and orientation 
• Bodies attitude indicator

• Small hairs surrounded by gelatinous liquid 
• Hairs move instantly, but liquid lags behind due to inertia 
• Not able to detect motion less than 2 - 3 degrees per second
• Can lead to spatial disorientation

• Spatial disorientation
• Not knowing your attitude 
• Information conflict between your senses
• Vestibular sense works good with visual sense

• Illusions 
• The leans
• Entering a turn slowly will not trigger the vestibular system (unintentional)

• Abrupt correction of the bank can create illusion of banking in the opposite direction
  
  
• Graveyard spiral
• After being in a standard rate turn for a while, the vestibular system equalizes (intentional)
• Liquid in ears stop moving, even tho you are still in the turn
• Turn becomes your new “straight and level”
  
• Leveling off from the turn can create an illusion of banking in opposite direction
• You want to correct that, so you re-enter the turn to feel straight and level
  
• In a turn you lose altitude, so you are in a descending (nose low) turn
• Feels like you are in a straight and level descent 
• You apply aft yoke to get a “normal” attitude, but this increases the turn rate, and you descend more
  
  

• Coriolis illusion
• Abrupt head movements may give a sensation of tumbling
  
  
• Somatografic illusion
• Rapid acceleration/deceleration will give you sensation of nose up/down attitude

• Inversion 
• Abrupt leveling out will give sensation of tumbling
  
• Obscure horizon 
• The appearance of the horizon being where it is not 
• Most common at night
  
  
• Motion sickness
• Conflict between visual sense and other sense
• Symptoms 
• Discomfort
• Nausea
• Paleness

• Hypoxia
• Definition
• Lack of Oxygen in the body tissues due to decreased quantity and molecular concentration
  
• Four types 
• Hypoxic - lungs
• Drop in oxygen pressure (altitude)
• Oxygen requirements  FAR 91.211
  
• Hypemic - blood
• Reduced ability of the blood to carry oxygen (CO)
  
• Stagnant - heart
• Inability of the blood to reach tissue/organs(circulation/g-force)
  
• Hystotoxic - external
• Inability of the tissue/organs to obtain oxygen (alcohol/drugs)
  
• Symptoms 
• Impaired judgement
• Light headed
• Headache
• Blue fingernails/lips
• Reduced vision
  
• Corrective action: 
• Oxygen
• Don’t smoke
• Stay healthy
• Lower altitude
• Decompression sickness
• Decompression sickness
• Can result of flying after scuba diving
• Excess nitrogen in the blood due to high pressure under water
• The deeper and longer in the water, the more absorption
•  If you go to a lower pressure too quickly the gasses will be released to the blood
• (same result from opening a soda bottle
  
• Wait at least 24 hours before flying
  
  
• Hyperventilation
• Not enough carbon dioxide in the blood
• Over breathing reduces CO2 level in the blood
• Causes
• Anxiety or stress
  
• Symptoms 
• Similar to hypoxia
  
• Correction 
• Control breathing
  
  
• Middle ear and sinus problem
• Air trapped in middle ear (different pressure)
• Causes can be both bacterial and viral infections such as colds and flu
• Blockage means that mucous cannot be removed
  
  

• Symptoms
• Pain
• Vertigo: one ear equalizes, but the other doesn’t
• Disorientation
• Headache
  
• Correction:
• Don’t fly if you have a cold
• Return to the airport
• Reduced cruising altitude
• Valsalva maneuver
• Yawning/chewing

• Stress
  
• Fatigue
  
• Alcohol and drugs


• Fitness for flight
• IMASAFE

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